Bahrain Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 19 Sep 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 158

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Bahrain continues digital transformation to diversify economy

Bahrain is successfully developing its multi-faceted Economic Vision 2030 strategy aimed at developing a digital transformation across numerous sectors, including e-government, e-health, e-commerce, and e-banking.

The major telcos including Batelco, stc Bahrain, and Zain Bahrain have been supported by the government and regulator to develop services and network infrastructure to facilitate implementing the strategy. stc has partnered with the government to build a technology park in Al-Qurain, while Batelco has developed a 140,000 square metre Data Oasis technology hub, which includes a newly built data centre connected to the SEA-ME-WE 6 and Al Khaleej cables.

This technology transformation has also been supported by the universal availability of 5G and FttP services.

Bahrain’s telecom sector has been guided by the new Sixth National Telecommunications Plan (initiated in October 2023) which focuses on fibre infrastructure deployment and establishing affordable prices for high-speed access.

Key developments:

Batelco launches its Bede fintech brand in Bahrain.
SpaceX’s Starlink service secures a licence to provide satellite broadband services in Bahrain.
Increase annual licence fees come into effect.
BNET starts final migration of copper infrastructure to fibre.
stc opens a technology park to support Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 ambitions.
Batelco completes the final migration phase of its remaining fibre circuits to BNET, in line with the Sixth National Telecommunications Plan.
Report update includes the regulator’s market data for June 2024, telcos’ operating data to Q2 2024, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies covered in this report include:

Batelco (Beyon), stc Bahrain, Zain Bahrain, Kalaam Telecom

Key statistics
Country overview
Telecommunications market
Regulatory environment

Overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

First National Telecommunications Plan
Second National Telecommunications Plan
Third National Telecommunications Plan
Fourth National Telecommunications Plan
Fifth National Telecommunications Plan
Sixth National Telecommunications Plan
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) licences
Number Portability (NP)
Interconnect
Access
Privatisation
Wholesaling

Mobile network developments

Second mobile licence
Third mobile licence
Prepaid subscriber registration
SIM card verification
Roaming tariff reduction
Mobile Termination Rate (MTR)
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
OTT providers
Spectrum developments

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
GSM, 3G
Mobile broadband
M2M

Major mobile operators

Batelco
Zain Bahrain
stc Bahrain

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis

National Broadband Network (NBN)
Fixed broadband statistics

Fixed network operators

Overview
Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco)
Alternative operators

Kalaam Telecom

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network

IXPs

International infrastructure

Submarine/terrestrial cable networks
Satellite networks
Noor-sat (acquired by Eutelsat)

Smart infrastructure

E-banking and e-payments
E-health
E-government

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Bahrain – 2024 (e)
Table 2 – Bahrain - GDP and inflation – 2012 – 2024
Table 3 – Development of telecom sector revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 4 – Change in the share of telecom sector revenue by service – 2013 – 2022
Table 5 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2017 – 2024
Table 6 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2024
Table 7 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2012 – 2027
Table 8 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by type - 2012 – 2024
Table 9 – Change in the proportion of mobile subscribers by type - 2012 – 2024
Table 10 – Development of retail mobile market revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 11 – Change in the distribution of mobile revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Table 12 – Change in mobile ARPU by type (BHD/subscriber/month) – 2013 – 2022
Table 13 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2018 – 2024
Table 14 – Decline in mobile voice traffic – 2014 – 2024
Table 15 – Decline in average mobile voice traffic by type (minutes/subscriber/month) – 2014 – 2024
Table 16 – Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 17 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2021 – 2024
Table 18 – Mobile broadband market share by operator – 2019 – 2024
Table 19 – Increase in mobile broadband traffic – 2016 – 2022
Table 20 – Growth in the number of M2M connections - 2019 – 2024
Table 21 – Change in the number of Batelco Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Table 22 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s financial data ($ million) - 2012 – 2022
Table 23 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s financial data (KD thousand) - 2015 – 2024
Table 24 – Zain Bahrain’s mobile data revenue share of total revenue – 2015 – 2021
Table 25 – Change in the number of Zain Bahrain’s mobile subscribers - 2012 – 2019
Table 26 – Change in the number of Zain Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Table 27 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s mobile ARPU - 2012 – 2021
Table 28 – Change in the number of stc Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Table 29 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 30 – Change in the market share of fixed broadband subscribers by operator – 2019 – 2024
Table 31 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2015 – 2024
Table 32 – Change in fixed broadband traffic by technology (million PB) – 2019 – 2024
Table 33 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform – 2012 – 2024
Table 34 – Change in the number of VoIP lines – 2012 – 2024
Table 35 – Development of Batelco Group’s financial data (BHD million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 36 – Development of Batelco Bahrain’s financial data (BHD million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 37 – Development of Batelco Bahrain’s revenue by segment (BHD million) – 2017 – 2023
Table 38 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 39 – Change in the number of fixed-line subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2024
Table 40 – Change in the number of fixed wired and wireless subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Table 41 – Change in the number of fixed lines by operator – 2020 – 2024
Table 42 – Change in the market share of fixed lines by operator – 2019 – 2024
Table 43 – Decline in fixed line traffic – 2014 – 2024
Table 44 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2023
Table 45 – Historic - Bahrain - mobile subscribers and penetration rate - 1995 – 2011
Table 46 – Historic - Bahrain - fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1995 – 2011
Table 47 – Historic - Bahrain - telecom sector revenue – 2006 – 2011
Table 48 – Historic - Bahrain - total prepaid mobile subscribers - 1999 – 2011
Table 49 – Historic - Batelco revenue for Group and Bahrain (BHD million) – 2005 – 2011
Table 50 – Historic - Batelco total group mobile subscribers – 2005 – 2011
Table 51 – Historic - Zain Bahrain - financial data ($ million) - 2005 – 2011
Table 52 – Historic - Zain Bahrain - mobile ARPU - 2005 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 7 – Development of telecom sector revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 8 – Change in the share of telecom sector revenue by service – 2013 – 2022
Chart 9 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2017 – 2024
Chart 10 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2024
Chart 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2012 – 2027
Chart 12 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by type - 2012 – 2024
Chart 13 – Change in the proportion of mobile subscribers by type - 2012 – 2024
Chart 14 – Development of retail mobile market revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 15 – Change in the distribution of mobile revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 16 – Change in mobile ARPU by type – 2013 – 2022
Chart 17 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2018 – 2024
Chart 18 – Decline in mobile voice traffic – 2014 – 2024
Chart 19 – Decline in average mobile voice traffic by type – 2014 – 2024
Chart 20 – Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 21 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by operator – 2021 – 2024
Chart 22 – Mobile broadband market share by operator – 2019 – 2024
Chart 23 – Increase in mobile broadband traffic – 2016 – 2022
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of M2M connections - 2019 – 2024
Chart 25 – Change in the number of Batelco Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Chart 26 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s financial data - 2012 – 2024
Chart 27 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s financial data - 2015 – 2024
Chart 28 – Change in the number of Zain Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Chart 29 – Change in the number of Zain Bahrain’s mobile subscribers - 2012 – 2019
Chart 30 – Development of Zain Bahrain’s mobile ARPU - 2012 – 2021
Chart 31 – Change in the number of stc Bahrain’s mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Chart 32 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 33 – Change in the market share of fixed broadband subscribers by operator – 2019 – 2024
Chart 34 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2015 – 2024
Chart 35 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform – 2012 – 2024
Chart 36 – Development of Batelco Group financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 37 – Development of Batelco Bahrain’s financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 38 – Development of Batelco Bahrain’s revenue by segment – 2017 – 2023
Chart 39 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 40 – Change in the number of fixed-line subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2024
Chart 41 – Change in the number of fixed wired and wireless subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Chart 42 – Change in the number of fixed lines by operator – 2020 – 2024
Chart 43 – Change in the market share of fixed lines by operator – 2019 – 2024
Chart 44 – Decline in fixed line traffic – 2014 – 2024

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 5 – Bahrain’s licensed telcos and services
Exhibit 6 – 2Africa landing stations

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Bahrain Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Bahrain continues digital transformation to diversify economy

Key developments:

Companies covered in this report include:

Key statistics

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Smart infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views